This last weekend I was released from my normal daddy daycare duties and decided to go for a ride on my bike, which is a KLR 650 (enduro).




The short version is that I hopped on my bike and rode from central Idaho, through Yellowstone, to Cody Wyoming. I decided that since I had never been to the Buffalo Bill historic center/ Cody Firearms Museum, it was a great time to do so.

I was relieved to arrive in Cody in one piece after a phenomenally close call involving dumbassed tourists who stop in the middle of the road, on a blind curve to get out and look at buffalo. I came to a stop literally close enough to a bull to poke him in the eye.







The museum was awesome. In fact it is by far the coolest museum I have ever been to, by a long shot.





The ride back took me northwest along the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway, which is both visually incredible and a super twisty road that bikers go nuts over.

Overall it was 887 miles of mental health break!

Pics to follow:

The handgun of choice for the weekend was one of my old Model 29s (.44 mag ) with warm loads since I was sleeping part of the weekend in a hammock in big bear country.





This particular .44 was one I used to finish off a double lunged buff a few years back with a brain pan shot. I knew the load had enough juice to go completely through a big buffalo's skull.






I came across some deer wading a river north east of the park.

TWISTYS!!

The smoke from various fires did not help the scenery any.

The museum is a mecca for gun guys:

Sounds like a great trip! Thanks for the report and pics.

Thanks for sharing. It looks like just the sort of thing to go out and do and enjoy yourself. Best wishes.

There is a reason that the museum is often referred to as the Smithsonian of the West. It is a tremendous facility with unrivaled collections of firearms and Native American relics.

Teddy Roosevelt's saddle and rifle:

great pics

Great trip and Grand pictures. Thanks for sharing it with us.

Mackay Sagebrush, I enjoyed your pictures and narrative. Is this chuck wagon cook, Ron Reed, still putting on Dutch oven cooking demonstrations just outside the Buffalo Bill Museum?



I've made Dutch oven biscuits just like he does and they come out great.

L.W.

It just so happens he was just out the front doors, on the lawn, on Sunday morning.

Mackay Sagebrush;
Thanks for sharing the trip photos with us, we've been down to Yellowstone and Cody twice since we've moved to BC and enjoyed it immensely.

The museum really needs a full day to absorb or that was our experience anyway. There is "something for everyone" there or so our family felt anyway.

Thanks again sir, all the best to you and your fine family and good luck on your hunts this fall.

Dwayne

Talk about taking the scenic route...

Beautiful country! Thanks for sharing.

Would love to have access to that display of automatic firearms.

Gorgeous country!

Mackay,

Nice Smith.

Your bike journeys have me stoked for getting a bike soon.

Lovin' it.

GFY.



Travis

Nice Ride and Pics.After Labor Day Im going to take off on my scoot headed West.

My favorite Museum, by far!

Looks like a great trip

Nice pics!

If you liked that museum, you'll also like the Texas Ranger museum in Waco, TX.

MckSb:

Glad you had a great time and hitting the museum in Cody was a smart move on your part. Kind of dumb to be in Cody and not stop there. Unless of course it's 2 AM and you've got miles to cover....

I've wondered about riding the Chief Joseph highway for a long time. Last time I had the chance it hadn't been finished. So -- what kind of condition is the pavement in, and what's the gravel factor?

MacKay, great photos as always.. Look forward to you posts.

Have traveled that route many times, but NEVER on a bike.. I tend to fall off!!!

Must get in to the museum sometime soon.. Haven't visited in probably 15 years..

What was the warm load in that fine Smith???

Thanks for the show!!

^^^^^^^^^^THIS^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

The road is in excellent shape overall. As is typical on mountain roads, there is always just a bit of sand, so you have to really pay attention in the corners and leave yourself an out.

The KLR and similar enduros are really stellar bikes for the West, where we have so many miles of unpaved roads to beautiful places, and 2 track trail/roads that lead to vast landscapes where very few ever travel.

Of course a 4" .44 mag could be considered the enduro of outdoorsman's sidearms.

GFY!

19 grains of H110 and a 300 grain cast SWC.

It is a fairly stout load and I shoot it sparingly in older Smiths.

gots me a KLX 650 R not street legal ever where but with a little work

Cool...........looks like you had a great getaway.

I like that pistola too.

MM

Thanks for sharing! Looks fun.



DMc

Very cool pics! Thanks for sharing. You see any bears?

We were just in that country with our camper last weekend too. We were staying at the Fox creek campground.

Nice pics.

Thanks for sharing your trip, beautiful country up there.

Great pictures Mackay Sagebrush!

I have been to that area on several occasions, but never on a bike.

I love the American West! Thanks for sharing.

donsm70

Not a single bear, but I saw a couple of hippos in an SUV! They were eyeballing me like a pork chop sandwich!

Great pics. Thanks for sharing.

Looks like a good time

Except if you're gonna do 900 miles in a weekend some enduros are more stellar than others

For the past 30 years the KLR 650 has been one of the best deals in motorcycling, it can get you most places you want to go off-road, and can comfortably pull 75-80 mph all day long on the superslab (I put in several 1,000 mile days on mine). Still only around $7,000 new IIRC.

Great pics, may I ask what kind of camera you used?

Thanks,

Birdwatcher

Great pix. I'm glad you made it back in one piece. Thanks for posting your adventure.

Great story and pictures Mack!

It helped me get away from the mess back here....if only for a little while.

I still think that wheel-gun needs that tapered barrel we talked about!

The area you were in is one of my favorite in the world by the way.

The Beartooth Highway and a suppressor can score you some easy rockchucks.

GFY.


Travis

More :

I don't know how you can stand those fugking hammocks by the way.

I have a Hennessy I'll sell for cheap if you want it.




Travis

Bird,

The camera is a fairly cheap little Costco special. Panasonic Lumix pocket camera. The quality of sub $250 cameras is amazing these days.

I was just talking with my dad last night about the BT highway. He had asked me if I had gone that route, as he had recently went that way. I will make sure I have a quiet toy the next time I do a long weekend in that part of the west.

GFY

As soon as I can find a 5+ inch Model 24 barrel, greatness will happen!

I appreciate the offer, but I have this one (for the bugnet alone) which is a snugpack, and an ENO double. The ENO is great, but the lack of mosquito net can be detrimental to a long nights sleep.

My only complaint about hammocks is the bedding bunching up. I am going to do some mods, and have tie off points attached to my stuff to prevent that.

Mackay, Looks like you had a great trip! Thanks for sharing your photos. The Cody museum is a two day event at least. The planes Indian section takes about a day and then there is all the guns and the western art.

Did you get to bust some rocks with your Smith?

Thanks again, Craig

Looks like a good time. I am looking into getting a Suzuki DR650. I would go with a KLR but have short legs and you can lower the DR a couple inches.

The KLR is a tall person's enduro for sure. That said, the clearance can come in quite handy in challenging terrain. I have taken mine into places I should not have. Story of my life, kinda..

Yeah, I thought about the ground clearance thing with the DR vs. the KLR. But I am planning on stiffening the suspension on the DR and the weight savings between them should make up a bit too.

Mackay,

What pad/bag are you using in that hammock?




Travis

Your killing me man,,, I got 5 weeks of vacation coming and I bike camp some every year but have been so swamped at work I can't take off yet, and to add insult to injury it has been in the high 50s and 60s at night.

Killer pics. The KLR is the perfect bike for that, I have a XR650R. Gonna get a giant loop for it and figure out a new sleep system. I can't do the hammocks, wake up and my back is stiff as a honeymoon pecker! I also need a seat for my bike, it's nowhere near as comfortable as the KLR seat.

Thanks for letting me live vicariously through you till Sept 12. The first day of my vacation is also the first day of early wood duck and teal season SHWING.

Mackey, thanks for sharing! Good photos and story as usual.

The City of Cody and the Buffalo Bill Museum are more than just a stop on the way to Yellowstone, they are destination in themselves for a one-week vacation if you are within a day's drive. Takes at least three days to soak up the museum , plus side trips Chief Joseph Highway, etc. If you have not been, schedule a trip, maybe in Sept or Oct when the tourists have thinned out and you can get a room at the Irma Hotel.

Travis,

I was just using a couple of Wiggys lamilite blankets and my old poncho liner.

Thanks for sharing! I love the area, but it has been a few years since I passed that way. Loved the catch and release pronghorn picture.

Have they changed the name of Dead Indian Pass yet? I figure that would have been a big brouhaha, but I coulda missed it.

Not yet,

But I hear the sanctimonious hand wringers want to change it from Dead Indian Pass to "Casino Owning American who has assumed ambient temperature".

The problem is fitting it on the plaque, on the rock..

Have you sat on one recently? They are tall, but don't weigh much so it ain't really a problem.

I'm only 5'7" when I stand especially tall, and the newer generation KLR's were lowered a bit a few years back.

This is me on my '92 back in 2010, last time I rode it to New York State. (The first pic is along the "Tail of the Dragon" in the Smokies).





Note the toe contact to the pavement in that second pic, about the way it is, but the bike doesn't weigh much so it ain't a problem.

Plus, just having to throw a leg over when getting on keeps you flexible

..and like I said, the current KLR's are lower than this.

Anyways, I was just a kid in '10, I look less goofy than that now.

Birdwatcher

Nice job with the camera.. I hadn't known about that Chief Joseph road. Sounds like a blast.. Beautiful scenery indeed!

You must be decades younger than I - if I tried to go 800+ miles on that bike I'd need a stretcher, a couple EMTs and injections.. Hat's off to you sir.


I hear ya on the idiots who stop in stupid places. Similar thing happened to me about 2 years ago.. Directly over a very sharp rise was a car stopped with two bozos looking at scenic valley about a mile or two away. (Thank God I was only goin' about 35 mph anyway, since I knew that road well..) Mudduck plates, naturally.. They got an earful as I rode by..

Great pics BW! Love the old school KLR. Classic enduro.

Redneck,


The Chief Joseph is without a doubt, well worth a side trip to go see if you ever end up in the area again. Truly beautiful and traffic is not really an issue.


Looking forward to riding it again.